Page 24 of Bound to Four Alphas

His alpha growled at the soft sorrow in her tone, his arms flexing tighter around her. When he looked at the others, he saw a similar distress in their eyes, the same tightness in their jaws.

“Selena,” said Ronan after a pause, his throat bobbing. “The humans who sacrificed you to the forest. Who were they?”

Selena shrugged but pushed her face into Elian’s chest, hiding it from view.

“They were members of the pack that lived in the village where I grew up.”

“But you weren’t part of that pack?” asked Kaelen, though his voice made it clear he already knew the answer.

She paused, and Elian could practically hear the thoughts racing through her head. Silently, he urged her to be brave, to speak about who she was, where she came from. They were, after all, going to be spending the rest of their lives together.

“My mother…” Selena started, her spiking scent causing a growl to rumble from Elian’s chest, quite against his will.

Previously he had thought himself above such animalistic things. But now he felt quite at home voicing any displeasure at his omega facing hardship.

Selena twisted in his arms, leaning back so that she could face the other three, her back pressing against his chest. He wrapped his arms around the softness of her naked body, leaning his chin on the crown of her head.

“Before I was born, my mother was a part of the pack,” Selena continued, her voice steadier. “She looked a lot like me. At least, I think she did, I remember she had long dark hair andpale skin, although her eyes were blue. She was an omega, highly sought after, but refused everyone who propositioned her.

“I don’t know who she eventually chose, who made her pregnant with me. All I know is she refused to tell the pack. And she was a young, unmated omega with no alpha in her family to speak for her. She was cast out.”

Ronan’s eyes flashed and a growl rumbled in Kaelen’s chest at the mention of the barbaric practice. For the shifters, it was seen as an insult to the very Gods to cast out an omega, leaving her unprotected. Elian didn’t much like it either, even if he had never come across it with the Fae. They didn’t typically bond into packs in the same way, so there was nothing to be cast out from. But even they treated their omegas with the respect and reverence owed to them.

“She stayed in the village, in a little cottage on the outskirts, growing a garden and raising me,” Selena continued. “She never spoke of who my father is, no matter how many times I begged her. She died when I was nine winters.”

Died. Leaving Selena all alone. Elian pulled her in tighter, fighting down a snarl.

She would never be alone again.

“I presented a few years after that. The pack hadn’t offered me a place. I was the illegitimate omega daughter of another rogue omega. A weakness to them. But my mother taught me well, and for the most part I was able to feed myself, look after the little cottage. Anything that I couldn’t make or forage, I traded medicinal herbs for. I don’t know when they started calling me a witch, but as soon as that rumor began, they were all even more … disdainful.”

Elian couldn’t help the huff of laughter. “I’ve met a few witches in my time, little dove, and I can assure you, you’re far too delectable to ever be compared.”

“I don’t know.” A hint of amusement crept into her voice. “I think perhaps I might have liked to actually be one.”

Her scent spiked, signaling her encroaching desire, and although Elian had a hundred more questions to ask, he couldn’t resist when her mouth was on his.

Later, much later, Selena was happily curled into Malek’s chest, both of them fast asleep.

“The humans,” Kaelen said, his voice low and angry, “they’re barbaric. How could they cast out an omega?”

“They’re not like us,” said Ronan, although his voice was similarly angry, “and thank the Gods for it.”

“It’s interesting, don’t you think?” asked Elian, watching Selena’s chest rise and fall.

Kaelen glanced over. “What is?”

“She mentioned a few times about wishing she had magic. I don’t think she’s aware that she does.”

“What do you mean?” Ronan’s brows rose, concern sweeping over his face.

“Well, she very clearly has a lot of magic within her, we can all sense it. There’s so much that even I’m not sure of the full extent of it. She isn’t human. I don’t think she knows what she is.”

“What is she?” Kaelen’s eyes glowed amber in the darkened chamber.

“I have absolutely no idea.”

Chapter 12 - Selena

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